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For all its bluster, many people find the practice of Satanism bizarre rather than intimidating. Among Christians, the religion is seen as either the practice of pure evil, or the hobby of someone with too much free time. According to Pastor Joe Thorn (see video below), even most Satanists are unsure of which category they fall into, since their ideology is primarily wrapped up in themselves. Despite the undeveloped nature of this religion, that fact remains that it exists. The question now is, "Should Christians be concerned or annoyed about this?"

Unfortunately, the answerer may be “both." A recent report from Relevant Magazine highlighted the latest antics of the Satanic Temple, in particular its new line of children’s literature,

“The Satanic Temple continues to mine the worst tricks from church subculture in what is either a misguided effort to win new followers or an attempt at parody. In either case, they're capitalizing on an Orange County ruling last year that allows religious adherents to hand out pamphlets at schools. The ruling came at the behest of a Christian group called The World Changers of Florida, but cracked the door for the Satanic Temple to distribute their own literature. And children's Satanic literature is, as you might expect, interesting. As with a lot of material from the Satanic Temple, it's not entirely clear how much is genuine and how much is tongue-in-cheek, but don't expect kids to be able to tell the difference either...”

It's likely Christian readers will simply roll their eyes at this news, and in a way, that’s a good thing. As C.S. Lewis once eloquently wrote, “Above all else, the Devil cannot stand to be mocked.” And if these pranks make him seem more the fool, all the better. However, some Christians will undoubtedly be worried by this article. Satan is the enemy of all mankind, and spiritual attacks can do just as much damage as physical ones. Thankfully, Crosswalk writer Lori Hatcher reminds us that God has given us the protection we need.

She writes,

First Peter 5:8 describes Satan, the enemy of my soul, as a roaring lion, prowling about, seeking whom he might destroy. He’s the ruler of this world and has buried IEDs everywhere. These destructive weapons have the capability to hurt, maim, and kill my family, my marriage, my witness, my ministry, and even my soul. And you are equally vulnerable.

The good news is that just like I have a Taser for physical protection, I also have an arsenal of spiritual weapons. I have:

The helmet of salvation (Eph 6:17). This protects my soul from spending eternity separated from God.

The breastplate of righteousness (Eph. 6:14). The moment I surrender myself to him, Christ drapes his mantle of righteousness over my filthy rags of self-effort. My responsibility from this point on is to walk in righteousness by yielding myself to God (Romans 12). Righteous living protects me from sinful behavior and its consequences.

The shield of faith (Eph 6:16). Faith is believing in God based on his character and what he has done in the past. Faith protects me from despair and hopelessness. Faith is also an offensive weapon with which I can storm the gates of hell on behalf of Kingdom work